12 MP3 Songs in this album (45:40) !
Related styles: Blues: Chicago Style, Blues: West Coast Blues, Featuring Guitar

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Details:
Historically, the blues has been a vocal musical form. Field hollers soared across the cotton and tobacco fields of the southern United States long before the first guitar god plugged in his amp. The first blues records focused on singers. Mamie Smith, Bessie Smith, and Ethel Waters made their mark with their voices. Even instrumental virtuoso Blind Lemon Jefferson sold records on the strength of his voice and the content of his lyrics.
Richard Carr continues the tradition of the blues singer. Carr grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, not generally regarded as a hot bed of the blues. During summers on the Alabama Gulf Coast he spent many Sundays listening to the all-day gospel music radio broadcasts.

Richard Carr didnât plan on becoming a blues singer. His earliest influence was classical Latin choral music at the local convent school. Although his first love was the drum, Richardâs godfather decided the guitar made less noise and Richard soon began taking lessons at a nearby Baptist Church. There he was exposed to the depth and beauty of gospel music, much as generations of southern blues and soul singers have been.

Gospel was soon followed by exposure to jazz and swing. Richardâs original ambition was to a be a crooner like Dean Martin or Tony Bennett. This influence is apparent as Carrâs debut album focuses on his clear, clean vocals and story-telling skills as a songwriter.

Despite these early influences Carr isnât new to the blues. After playing with a number of groups during his teens, Richard was absent from the music business for several years. In the mid nineties he resumed his professional musical career while living in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 1996 he has been a working musician in Quebecâs surprisingly busy blues scene. Over the past few years gigs have been become more steadily frequent and at increasingly larger venues including some of Canadaâs most prestigious blues clubs and festivals.

Carrâs original songs feel old, in a good way. They evoke images of Fred Astaire or Cab Calloway out on the town for a night of big cars, bright lights, flashy suits and glamour. From the instrumental guitar bounce of âTop Swingâ to the title cut âTell Everybodyâ Richard Carrâs songs follow the best of blues traditions. The songs have purpose and meaning. Best of all, his songs tell stories.

Ricky Stevens
Arkabutla, Mississippi